


Fire and Ice

by Cerezababy



Series: Fire and Ice [1]
Category: FFXV - Fandom, Final Fantasy 15, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anger, Ardyn/reader, ArdynxReader, Bad Touch Chancellor, Canon-Typical Violence, Crownsgaurd, Crownsgaurd Reader, Electrocution, Established Relationship, F/M, Force-Feeding, Forced Orgasm, Forced Relationship, Friend!Gladio, Gladio is having none of his shit, Hurt, Noct has a temper tantrum, Noctis/Reader - Freeform, NoctisxReader, Reader is chained up, Starvation, Torture, Violence, Zegnautus Keep, dark themes, deamons, dub-con, like seriously yall this is gonna get dark, lots of dark shit, non-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-07-03 03:58:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15810870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cerezababy/pseuds/Cerezababy
Summary: Reader is accompanying Noctis and the rest of the chocobros on their journey but things don't go as planned.I.e. Reader gets kidnapped by Ardyn and taken to Zegnautus Keep.WARNING: This series contains NON-CON & DUB-CON. Read with caution!





	1. Fire and Ice

**Author's Note:**

> I changed the plot of the game a bit to fit around my idea for this short little series that I've wanted to write for a while and have suddenly been hit with the inspiration for, so I hope you don't mind and I'll explain anything if ya'll have any questions! The first two chapters are probably the most tame this fic is gonna get so just beware of future chapters because it only gets darker from here.

The sun peeked through the clouds and reflected off of the snow as the train continued its trek through Gralea. You were sat next to Noctis, who was sulking, and talked to Prompto who sat across from you. Gladio was sitting in the seat on the other side of the aisle with Ignis, but seemed to be brooding in his spot, as well. The tension was high after Iggy’s misfortune and losing Luna. Despite this, you and Prompto attempted to keep the atmosphere light. 

“Hey, did you see the new gear on Kingsnight?” Asked Prompto. 

“The gear you get from the anniversary event? Yeah! I'm still trying to level up enough to get the full armor suit from defeating the final boss,” you rave. Out of the corner of your vision, you see Gladio stand and stomp off down the car. Making a big show of leaving, the tension grew with each passing second. “Uh, so anyway, what about you? Did you get anything cool?”

Prompto chuckled half heartedly but still attempted to keep the conversation going. “Yeah, I actually got the new rev-”

“Can you two stop pretending everything's okay?” Noctis interrupted. “Gods, it's painful just listening to you two!” He yelled. With that, the prince stormed off in the direction Gladio did. The two of you sat, dumbfounded. Your chest ached at his reprimand and you're sure Prompto felt the same guilt and sadness that you did. 

“That was entirely uncalled for.” Ignis finally spoke after staying silent most of the ride. The sudden voice startled you and you jumped a bit in your seat. “You both did nothing wrong.”

“It's alright, Ignis,” Prompto spoke meekly. 

“No. It is unacceptable for him to take out his frustrations onyou. His pain does not designate a right to mistreat others.”

You and Prompto silently agree with Ignis and you all continue to wait quietly for something to happen, although none of you really had any idea what exactly you were waiting for. Noctis or Gladio to return? One of you to say something about the way the two of them left? Growing tired of sitting anxiously, you decided to get up and investigate. Prompto rose to follow, but you told him to stay with Iggy while you went to retrieve the angry prince and his shield. Making your way down the train car, you were tousled slightly by the rock of the vehicle. Two cars down, you ran into the two men arguing loudly in front of a few other riders and making a scene. You rushed over when you saw Gladio take a few steps toward Noctis with his fists clenched tightly at his sides. 

“You can't keep running away from your problems! Your people need you but you're just sitting around and throwing yourself a pity party!” The larger man seethed. 

“Yeah? Well you go through everything I have and then come talk to me! You honestly think I don't know my people need me?” Noctis yelled back. 

Stepping between them, you pushed your arms out on either side of yourself in an attempt to separate the two angry men. “Hey! Clam down!” The guys ignored you and kept pushing back against you as if you weren't even there. The fighting was really beginning to escalate and you fully expected some hands to start flying. You looked to your boyfriend in an attempt to reason with him but he continued to glare up at Gladio. Grabbing Noctis by the arm, you tried to gain his attention but ended up sprawled on the floor instead. It took a moment for you to process what just happened while you stare up at your best friend shoving Noct backward and watching him push back. You hear Gladio yell about you being on the ground when you finally realised it was Noctis who shoved you out of the way and ultimately to the floor. Anger rose in your chest and you got to your feet before stepping in front of the shield and stood before Noctis. 

A sharp slap rang through the room and your hand stung from the impact. “Asshole, will you get your shit together!” The prince looked completely shocked, his eyes wide and distant. “You're too caught up in your own bullshit to realise you're hurting people around you? Regardless of what happened to me, your friends and your people need your guidance now more than ever! So get your head out of your princely ass and be a King!”

Storming away from the two, now bewildered men, you left for the farthest car you could manage to find in order to cool down. Entering the farthest carriage possible, you were met with the sight of the Regalia. Rolling your eyes, you began to pace the room.

You couldn't believe Noctis would be so engrossed in an argument to comepley ignore your existence and push you out of his way like that. You exploding on him was justified, that much was for sure. Gladio was right. Noct needs to grow up and lead his kingdom. Defeating Ardyn can wait, can't it? Although a lot of Noct’s anger seems to stem from that man, You wondered why. In fact, you wondered a lot of things Noctis never told you about. You always thought that with him being your boyfriend he would open up more about his royal duties and such, but after his arranged marriage to Lunafreya, he seemed more closed off than ever. 

Realising you needed to get out of your head for a bit, you began to make your way back to the bar. Still, as you walked, you couldn't help thinking of him and how your lives seemed to be so pre-written for anguish. 

A flash of burgundy passed by you in a blur and you turned to face the almost familiar sight only to come across nothing more than an empty carriage. The seats that held passengers moments ago were now empty and you feel a chill run down your spine. A rush of air hit the back of your neck and you pivoted quickly to look behind you. Again, nothing greeted your frantic eyes. 

Suddenly, a hand gripped your shoulder. You summoned your weapons in a literal flash and held them to the flesh of the suspected enemy. 

When your eyes focused and your mind cleared enough to comprehend anything other than the adrenaline rushing through you, you were met with the wide eyes of Gladiolus. Releasing the air you didn't realise you were holding in, you dropped your weapons and stepped back. 

“Geez, Princess, you're on edge. Is everything alright?” He peered down at you with genuine concern. 

You ran a hand over your face and sighed. “I'm fine. I just need a drink.”

“Yeah, alright.” Gladio lightly pushed your shoulder to lead you to the car that served the much needed alcohol. You began to apologise when you both felt the train abruptly rock. You braced yourself but the shield was there to catch your fall. “What the hell was that?”

“I don't know, but we need to find the others and make sure everyone's okay,” you replied in slight panic. 

Rushing through the other cars, the two of you were met with terrified people and magitek troops on the sides of the train. Looking to Gladio, you both summoned your weapons and began to fight. Quickly, the machines were unlatched from the sides and you were continuing through the rest of the train to reach the rest of your entourage. 

You could see Noctis rush out of the carriage you found Ignia in and went to go after him when you noticed Prompto was missing. You kept moving and attempted to follow Noct but he moved much faster than you and having to stop to fight off more magiteks wasn't helping you catch up. Finally reaching the last carriage, Noct and Prompto were nowhere in sight. You had already been in every other car on the train when you made your way there, so where else could they be? 

You looked around to see the last door opened to a ladder that led to the top of the rail car. That had to be it. You climbed up as best you could with the train still rocking sporadically with each hit to its body. You had to grip the handles tightly to keep from slipping off. When you made it to the top, you could barely see the figures standing there through the snowfall. Shielding your face from the harsh winds, you kept close to the ground in order to stay steady. 

As you got closer to the figures, you could make out the auburn hair of Ardyn and his coats as well as the slim build of Noctis in his dark clothing. You called out to him but received no response. The wind must have been too loud for him to hear. You crept closer and closer until you could clearly see the two men fighting over something, Noct’s sword drawn and swinging. You called out again only to watch as your lover turned toward you and the butt of a gun hit him in the back of his head, Noct's body falling in response. 

“Noctis!” You screamed. You wanted to charge at his attacker but you couldn't gain purchase on the roof from the snowfall. Instead, you moved as quickly as you could but your elbows and knees were soon groaning in protest from all of the falls you were taking. Ardyn grinned at you, amused at your struggle. You passively cursed your kingsglaive boots for being so slippery and continued to make your way to him with your weapons drawn. Once within swinging distance, you aimed for the side of his head first, only to be blocked by his arm coming up to prevent the blow. A quick fist to your abdomen knocked the air from your lungs but you continued to fight. 

You positioned yourself to bring you knee up to his side but he blocked you again, this time grabbing the leg you were using to sweep your other one from underneath you. Your head impacted with the steel of the train and you felt the intense throb radiate through your entire body. Still, you moved to stand but Ardyn kept you down with his boot to your centre, effectively keeping your body from being able to lift. 

“Such a waste of energy.” The low voice of the chancellor rang through your ears. “Now, what will I do with you?”


	2. White Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader wakes up in an unfamiliar place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ardyn is a creep. Things are about to heat up in the next chapters so strap in, everyone!

Harsh white light penetrated your newly opened eyes and you move to shield your eyes only to feel something heavy around your wrist. You shift your gaze to see the old metal securely restraining your movements. With your eyes beginning to focus, you look around to see you were on the floor of a medium sized room with white walls and a high ceiling. The fluorescent lights buzz from above you, the only sound in the room. 

You try to remember anything from before to help you understand what happened and how you got here. Your mind immediately went to the rail car and fighting off magiteks. Thinking harder, you remember being atop the train and fighting Ardyn...and losing. 

Shit. 

With nothing else to do, you were left to think of an escape plan. Pulling on the chains did nothing but create noise and without being able to summon your weapons, there wasn't much else you could do but wait. 

Staring blankly at the white walls for what felt like hours, the large automatic doors open to reveal none other than the man in question. The obnoxious way he saunters into the room without a care in the world is infuriating. Your firsts ball at your sides and you wait for him to speak. 

“What's with that look, hm?” Ardyn tilts his head to the side as if looking at a child. “Are you not glad to see me?” Seeing your face twist in anger amused him as he let out a low chuckle. 

“Where's Noctis?” You speak through your gritted teeth. 

Ardyn takes a few steps towards you and peers down his nose to meet your gaze. “Missing your lover, are you? I wouldn't worry too much about him if I were to be in your position.”

“And why not?”

“Because, dear, you're the one chained to the wall.” The man smirks down at you. 

You pull on your restraints to draw attention to them. “Not for long,” you smirk back. This was your chance at a power play. You need to use Ardyn to your advantage. If he thinks you can escape and potentially fight him off, maybe he'll give up trying to hold you here. 

Ardyn hums low in his throat, “Surely.” You narrow your eyes at his sarcastic tone. Bastard. “Until then, dear.” With that, the man leaves. 

“Where are you going?” You shout as the doors slide open. Ardyn continues walking, not paying you any mind. “Hey! You're just going to leave me here?” 

Turning around with a sly smile, your captor regards you with amusement once again. “I was under the impression you would be escaping. Have you decided against it so suddenly?” 

Coy asshole. You scoff and look away from him. With no retaliation from you, the Chancellor continues his way out and the metal closes. 

What now? You know you have no means of escape, so you sit and wait again. Eventually, you fall asleep on the cold metal floor. Without any way to tell the time, you awake in a daze. The lights are still on and are bright as ever. Sitting up, you look around as if you would find something that you didn't see before. Tilting your head upwards, you spot a small black device in the corner of the room on the ceiling. A blinking red light indicates it's a camera. More than likely a CCTV. You scowl in its direction and give it the finger. 

More time passes and without anything to do but worry, you begin to go stir crazy. Not to mention your stomach aches with hunger. Gods how long have you been in here? With your chains stunting your movement and effectively hindering your ability to pace, you were left to either standing in place or sitting back down. You take the latter. 

You awake again to the feeling of hunger beginning to eat at your stomach. You groan. What was Ardyn planning to do with you anyway? Lock you up until you die? Looking up at the camera, you assume someone must be watching you, so you call out. 

“Hey!” You wave your arms as much as you can. “Hey, I'm starving! You just gonna have me rot in here or what?” You wait for something, anything, to happen. When nothing does, you slump against the wall and sigh. 

I shouldn't worry. Noct and the guys will be here soon. They have to be. Gods let them be okay. 

Looking up to the ceiling again, you pray to the gods that your boys are okay and on their way to come rescue you. As much as you pride yourself on your abilities, without a way to access the armiger, you feel useless. You can only hope and pray Noctis is okay and there's a reason other than his demise that you're unable to summon your weapons. 

Please be okay Noctis.

The doors to your room open and your eyes are drawn immediately to the tray that the magitek carries in its hands. Food. You can see the steam still rising from the freshly cooked meal and your stomach twists, reminding you of just how hungry you are. Still, you regard the machine with trepidation. As it grows nearer, you feel like backing away. Instead, you sit still and wait for it to place the tray in front of you. It's nearly a meter away when it stops. The machine sets the tray down, mechanically, and leaves. You sit there dumbfounded. 

These chains only reach about a foot from the wall each. There's no way I can reach that. 

You felt like crying. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Of course. You can't help but stare at the tray as the steam begins to die down. 

“Sick bastard!” You yell at nothing in particular, hoping Ardyn could hear you. 

Seconds later, those big metal doors open again. You stand as your captor enters. There he is with that stupid smirk on his smug face. You clench your fists again. 

If he so much as steps close enough, I swear I'll swing. 

“Oh dear, it seems you have a bit of a problem.” That tilt of his head again. You begin to shake with anger. “I'm sure you're just starving, poor thing. Let me be of service.” 

You scrunch your eyebrows at him. What is he going to do? You wait and watch as Ardyn picks up the tray and brings it to you. Holding it out for you to take, you move to grab it from him but you restraints prevent you from doing so. You've got to be kidding. 

“Can't reach, hm? Allow me.” Ardyn steps closer to you. Almost within punching range, but not quite. He picks up a fork with one hand while holding the tray in the other. Skewering some sort of meat looking thing, he points the fork to you. “Open up~”

You grit your teeth and scowl at him. Hell if he thinks I'm letting him feed me. 

Ardyn fake pouts. “Now, dear, I know you're hungry. You can't eat yourself with those chains on your wrists. Let me help you.” 

I'm gonna wipe that smug ass grin from your face the second I get the change, I swear it. 

Maybe this is your chance. “Absolutely not. Just take them off and I'll eat myself.”

Ardyn is no fool. “I'm afraid I cannot allow that.” A shiver runs up your spine at the way his voice drops to an almost ominous tone. “Now, open before I am forced to resort to other methods to make you open.” 

With the fork still in front of you, you timidly take a bite. The taste is nearly impossible to decipher. Hints of garulen meat come through, but it's so foreign you can't make heads or tails of it. As you chew, Ardyn smiles. 

“Good girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter but seriously y'all it's only uphill from here. Dark shit. DARK SHIT. Readers please beware!


	3. The Start of Something Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader is fed up with Ardyn's silence but is in for more than she bargained for when Ardyn finally reveals his reasoning for keeping her captive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: "This chapter is too short, it's only like 300 words."  
> Me: *checks word-count* "Oh shit, okay sweet!"
> 
> Next chapter things get fucking DARK yall. Read with caution! Enjoy~

Time is something taken for granted, you realise, as you stare at nothing. After your last encounter with the chancellor, you were left alone again for what feels like days. There's no way to tell time here in this white, empty room. You really are beginning to go crazy. 

You began absently bouncing your leg at some point and now you're beginning to twitch. Everything starts to itch but you can't reach. You'd bite your nails but you can't bring your hands to your mouth with the chains being so short. You bounce your leg even faster. 

Fuck!

“Ardyn!” You yell and wait. You hear a slight high pitch ring before his voice comes through some unseen speaker in the room. 

“Yes, dear? How may I be of service?”

“I'm going fucking crazy in here! If you're going to kill me, just do it already!” You sit and wait again, only this time there is no answer. Instead, the familiar scrape of metal on metal sounds from across the room and in walks the man in question. You stare in waiting as he strides over to you. Expecting him to stop a few meters away like usual, you're surprised to see him keep moving towards you. The tall man stands before you with a blank expression that makes you uneasy. His cold eyes pierce into you. You almost look away when he speaks with such coldness it causes you to flinch. 

“Dear girl, you are a fool if you believe I would kill you when your beloved Noctis isn't here to bear witness. You haven't been in my care for too long, yet you already begin to break? You are truly weak. Killing you would be a waste.” His words are brimming with a hidden meaning behind them. One you can't quite understand yet. Ardyn reaches out a hand to grip your chin tightly, forcing you to meet his gaze. His lips are turned down in a scowl and you can't help but feel fear beginning to settle in your stomach. As his eyes trail down your body, Ardyn’s features soften. “Though, I could find a use for you after all.”

The hand on your chin trails along your cheek then pushes back your hair. You immediately jerk your head back away from his touch. 

“Don't touch me!” You growl out. 

The chancellor laughs, “Dear, you are in no position to be telling me what to do.” The scowl is back, now. “Why don't we come to an agreement, hm?” 

“What kind of agreement?” You ask, trepidly. 

“The kind of agreement that is beneficial to the both of us.”

You hesitate. Knowing this could be a trap, you nod for him to continue but stay alert. 

“Because I am sparing your meaningless life, providing you with proper nutrients, and not to mention shelter from the cold,” Ardyn waves his hands in emphasis. 

“You're forcing me to be here!” You clarify. 

“I am allowing you to live!” He all but bites back. His tone truly frightens you. “If I wanted to, I could throw you to the deamons or let you rot in here while you slowly go insane. I believe I've been more than accommodating!” Something in his voice and the way he slowly moves towards you makes you press yourself against the wall until you're flat to it. Once he sees you shaking, he seems to gather himself again. “You have tried me enough for one evening.”

You watch as Ardyn turns without another word and exits the room. Still too shocked from what just transpired, you sit still in a daze. Back to square one. The minutes and hours tick by without any way to be known. Time is a stranger, now. 

~

“Wake up,” a distant voice calls. 

You stir in your place on the floor. You can't be bothered to open your eyes. Not with how tired you are. You can faintly feel a pressure on your jaw and your head moving side to side. 

“Dear~”

Suddenly, there's a warmth radiating through you and you feel a lifting sensation before your eyes shoot open from the pure shock of it. You can't see anything other than the piercing white light for a few moments while your eyes adjust to being open after so long. How long has it been?

Ardyn speaks to you again before you can even see him clearly. 

“You poor thing,” he fakes concern, “it seems you've exhausted yourself. Perhaps you will accept your meal this time.” His tone shifts to one holding underlying consequences if denied. When you are able to look into his eyes, you can see the evil in his gaze. From your periphery, you spot the tray of food; your stomach immediately growling in response. A wicked smirk appears on the chancellor’s face before he speaks again. “Allow me.” 

Ardyn gathers something brown into a spoon before holding it out to you. You swallow your pride and glare at him as you take a bite. The flavor is surprisingly bland instead of foul and you can't help but feel grateful for that. Although, having something Ignis made, admittedly, sounds heavenly at the moment. You can't help but miss him and the others—Gods forbid they are experiencing anything worse than Ardyn’s torment—hoping they're all alright. 

Thinking of, Ardyn hums in delight at the sight of you surrendering. Even if it's just this little victory, you don't plan on him having any others, but you need to do this to survive. You promise yourself you will see your friends again. 

“Are you finally beginning to realise that I do not wish to hurt you?” He asks in what feels like a rhetorical sense, but you can't help but feel angry at his words, so you reply. 

“Then what do you want from me?”

The look on Ardyn’s face all but has you crawling backwards out of fear. The way his lips curl to expose his almost unusually sharp canines, the darkness that almost reaches his eyes, the faint yellow glow of his irises. It all feels so unnatural and predatory for reasons just out of reach of your comprehension. 

“Dear, I only want you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously y'all. Next chapter contains non-con and abuse. Please read with caution!!


	4. As You Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a turn of events, Reader gets a taste of what she asks for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little HEATED ahahaha you'll get why that's funny in a minute, but in all seriousness, things have finally come to a BAD THINGS point so proceed with caution!! Enjoy~

Oh Gods, he's serious. He's leaning closer. I have to get away from him. 

You pulled on your chains again and again but they still wouldn't budge. Summoning your weapons was still fruitless. How do you fight back when you can't move?

“S-stay away from me!” You screamed. 

Ardyn, however, gripped your chin again; a habit you noticed he did often when you defied him. 

“Listen here, girl, you are my property now. Your little prince and his friends are not coming for you. You belong to me now and you will do what I tell you to do when I tell you to do it!”

“I'll die before I ever listen to you!”

The wicked smirk that slowly creeps onto your captor’s face makes your blood run cold. 

“My dear, if that is what you wish, then so it may be.” Ardyn released you and motioned for the magitek troopers behind him to come toward you. “I want her begging for her life,” he says. “I will leave you to it, then.”

You look to the three troopers that stood behind the chancellor with terror. You've had your experiences with these things before while fighting alongside Noctis and they have definitely taken you out on more than one occasion. Needless to say, they have plenty of ways to take someone down and the fire power to make it as painful as possible. 

As Ardyn walked away from you, one of the machines got to work unchaining you. 

What are they doing? Are they taking me somewhere else? 

With the cuffs off, you had a chance to escape. You just had to be fast enough. You waited for the magitek to finish with the last cuff before you slipped past the two that were closest and barley dodged the third before dashing to the still open door. You had just made it past the threshold when you felt the jolt of electricity strike you in the centre of your back, effectively stunning you. The ripples of volts passed through your entire body as you fell forward, unable to move. Your limbs twitched uncontrollably and you struggled to regain the air that escaped your lungs upon impact. 

You laid there, the electricity having stopped but still unable to do more than gasp for air. The cold metal hand that gripped you by the hair at the back of your scalp pulled you backward into the room you so nearly escaped from. Further in we're the other two soldiers standing at attention in waiting. Once within close enough vicinity, they grabbed either of your arms and pulled you to a stand. Now standing, their armored gloves gripped you under your biceps and wrists and held you there. You pulled in an attempt to escape their hold but all you managed was to aggravate the soldiers who, in turn, tightened their grips to the point you feared their pointed metal gloves would pierce your skin. 

That was the least of your worries, though, as now you were at the mercy of the magitek who had shot you down during your short-lived escape. The thing had already re-calibrated its weapon to fire again and had pointed directly at you. You took a deep breath as all you could do now was wait for the inevitable blow.

What you didn't expect was for it to be a much stronger voltage. This time, when it hit it was like Ramuh himself had struck you with his lightning. All you could see was white and all you could feel was the electricity frying you from the outside, in. If you could hear, you expected your own scream to be something you've only heard in films. 

For a moment, everything went black before a third shock resonated through you. Your body seized and convulsed through the shockwaves. This time, you could hear your screams and your earlier theory was confirmed. Once the assault had ceased, you limbs fell limp; the soldiers the only thing keeping you from completely collapsing. The tears streaming down your face felt cool against your skin and you couldn't help but wonder the extent of the damage. However, your thoughts were interrupted by another jolt and white hot pain flooded your senses. 

Silent screams we're all you could muster in your weakened state. You closed your eyes and willed the gods for your torment to be over. It seemed your prayers would be answered, for the electricity stopped. You breathed the heated air into your lungs and silently thanked every god you could think of before you heard the telltale sound of a handgun being cocked. You pried your weary eyes open to see a blurred figure of blonde hair and a bandana before your vision cleared and you could make out the freckles and cornflower blue eyes. You would have been relieved to see such a familiar face if it weren't for the fact that same face was staring you right in the eye with a gun pointed to your temple. 

Betrayal pained your heart before you blinked and the image of your close friend had been replaced by the very magitek that had been responsible for your burned flesh. Your mind raced. Were you just seeing things? You must have been. Prompto was nowhere in sight and the bright red eyes the bore into you were a clear sign that he was not the thing in front of you now. It must have been your mind trying to cope with the mental stress of your situation. All you wanted was for your friends to come rescue you, as much as you prided yourself on your independence and capabilities. Anything to get you out of here. Out of the way of the barrel pointed to your head. 

After all you had just been through, you were surprised your body could still shake as you awaited your fate, too exhausted to plead for your life, now. 

“Have you had enough?”

You opened your eyes again to see Ardyn had come back to see your distress and revel in it. The man stood beside the armed soldier as he peered down at your pathetic, shaking form. 

It took all of your strength, physically and emotionally, to look up at him and say, “Please.”

The daemon of a man only smirked at you before snapping his fingers. The magiteks dropped you simultaneously and you sprawled to the floor with a cry of pain as your burned flesh made contact with the ground. Unable to move, you only listened to the chancellor step forward before kneeling down next to you. You heard the sound of glass shatter and a feeling only describable as cool air flowing through your entire being and skin pulling back together where it had been burned through. A rush of air filled your lungs and you turned your body to lay on your back while you stared up at the man responsible for your near death experience. He only smiled down at you, condescendingly, before straightening up again and dismissing his minions. 

“Now, that could have been avoided if you had only given in to me, dear. I have already told you I do not wish to harm you, but you did indeed ask for this,” Ardyn says as he paces the empty room, his arms moving in theatrical emphasis. If you weren't so exhausted, you would have made a remark that would be sure to get you into trouble. Stopping in his tracks, Ardyn turned to face you again, although you made no move to face him in return. “Tell me, have you changed your mind?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you catch the MT!Prompto Easter egg I threw in there?? Hehehe I thought I'd be fun to throw that in just for shits and giggles ;) 
> 
> We haven't gotten into non-con/dub-con territory yet but beware it is coming!! This is just a dip into the pool of what Cerezababy has planned for future chapters so don't think the torture ends here, folks! 
> 
> As always, be CAUTIOUS of future chapters as they will only be getting darker from here. That includes non-con/dub-con and more terrible things that I do not condone irl. For the sake of this FICTIONAL WORLD, though, it's been eating at me to write this and get it out of my system and into the world so I can finally move on to other things aside from this story that I want to work on. So bare with me, here!


	5. Beginning of Something Dangerous (Ardyn)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've been given a bit of freedom, but at what cost?
> 
> This chapter is for Ardyn's Route*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! You're all so wonderfully patient and all of your comments have lifted my spirits so much!
> 
> I'm sorry this chapter is so short but I wanted to give you all SOMETHING since I have kept you waiting so long! I'll explain why in the notes at the end! I hope this can hold you over for a while longer!!

 

“I'll give you one more chance, Dear. Make a deal with me, or rot here.”

His eyes went dark again and you weighed your options. You have no idea what he's planning to do with you if you make the deal or if you say no. It couldn't hurt to hear his offer. 

“What's the deal?”

 

“Good girl.”

–

Many days passed in captivity, only now it was a bit more bearable. At least, that was what you told yourself. After making that deal with Ardyn, you were free to roam about the facility as long as you did what you were told and were accompanied by magiteks. Having the machines follow you around was unsettling at first, but now it was almost comforting having someone, or something, to interact with. Even if they didn't respond back. Still, it wasn't enough. It's not the same as a real, living, breathing person. That's why, in some sick way, Ardyn's presence was a welcome sight. 

There you were, sitting down to dinner with him. Until recently, meals together were silent. Part of his deal was to eat morning and night with him but he never said you had to speak to him, too. Now, though, you craved human interaction and he was all you had. 

“How was your day, my dear?” Ardyn asked from across the table. 

“Same as always,” you replied with boredom. “I can't keep going everyday by myself. I miss my friends and I'm sure they're worried abou-”

The sound of dishes rattling as a fist was slammed on the table echoed the room, startling you. 

“Your friends will not be coming for you.” Ardyn spoke through clenched teeth and you knew you shouldn't have said anything. “Have you not learned by now? Must I remind you?” 

Your body began to tremble. You didn't want to think about what he did to you the last time you spoke about the royal entourage. “N-no, sir.”

The man heaved a sigh before speaking again. “Stop shaking before I give you something to be afraid of.”

Steeling yourself, you cast your gaze down at your rapidly cooling meal. “I'm sorry, sir.” Feeling a cold grip on your hand, you peeled back up to see Ardyn had reached out to you. 

“Darling, I've told you to call me by my name.”

You knew you were allowed to speak to him informally, but you felt it would be too personal and you weren't ready to give in to him completely like he wanted. This was your way of rebelling without it being a big show. “Right.” You flashed a small, fake smile his way and he released your hand. 

The two of you continued to eat in silence until Ardyn motioned for a magitek to pour him more wine. Once his glass was full, he asked if you would like any. Figuring it couldn't hurt, you accepted. 

“I would like to take you somewhere after you have finished your meal. Will you accompany me?” 

Your eyes went wide. Does he mean he's going to take you out of here? Will you actually get to see the outside world again? A glimpse of freedom?

“Yes. Yes! Absolutely!” You said, enthusiastically. Perhaps, you were a bit too excited. 

Ardyn let out a small laugh. A rarity. Something you have never seen before from the man. 

“My, my. I don't believe you've been this spry since your arrival,” he smirked. 

You mean since you kidnapped me.

“Yeah, well, what can I say?” You paused to sip your wine, “I like to travel.” You all but grumbled at your captor. Keeping your mouth shut was wise, but difficult.

“I hate to disappoint, but we will not be going far.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so terribly sorry I haven't updated in so long.  
> Unfortunately, like most people, the holidays are so busy for me and I've fallen ill on top of that. I only have a few hours in the day where I don't feel sick and I use that time to get more important things done. I'm also working now instead of being a full time student so that means less time in the day for me to write. Lately my writing inspiration has been zero to none and that's really affected me. I promise I'm trying to write as much as I can but sometimes it just does work, so thank you tremendously for being so patient with me!
> 
> Your comments have been so lovely to read! You're all so inspiring and kind and I love each and every comment that I get! You, the readers, are the reason I keep writing. You are a huge inspiration to me, you have no idea~!

**Author's Note:**

> Chapters are short because it's taking a while for me to get the ideas onto (digital) paper and I just wanna put them up because I like to have them organized! Thanks for reading!


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